Wife of Hong Kong man set on fire after row with vandals tells Chinese state television of heartbreak at injuries
- Lee Chi-cheung was left with serious injuries after confronting masked group who had vandalised a station in Ma On Shan in the New Territories last week
- His wife says that he remains in a coma and still needs operations on his face and chest
The wife of the man who was set on fire in Hong Kong last week has told Chinese state television she was “heartbroken” by his injuries.
Lee Chi-cheung, 57, was left fighting for his life after the attack, which occurred on November 11 after a dispute with a group of masked protesters who had vandalised an MTR station in Ma On Shan in Hong Kong’s New Territories.
According to police, he witnessed the vandalism and chased after the protesters. He was then attacked and suffered head injuries. As he walked away, he shouted “You are not Chinese” to the group. The protesters responded by yelling “We are Hongkongers”. He returned to confront them and a dispute ensued, during which he was doused with flammable liquid and set alight.
Police have classified the case as attempted murder and a spokeswoman from the Fire Services Department said Lee had sustained second-degree burns to 28 per cent of his body.
The interview with his wife by CGTN, the English-language arm of the official state broadcaster CCTV, swiftly went viral on Chinese social media on Monday.
Footage of the attack on the construction worker and father of two prompted widespread condemnation by Chinese state media and “Uncle Lee” has attracted widespread sympathy in mainland China.
